anthropomorphism | ˌanTHrəpəˈmôrfizəm | (noun): the attribution of human characteristics or behavior to an animal.

In the well-meaning attempt to provide our dogs loving care, we commonly treat them as “little people.” While we should recognize our pets as living beings worthy of respect and love, we mustn’t forget they are very different creatures than us humans. Dogs evolved according to challenges different than their human friends, as such, they possess different needs. Their behavior was learned under different circumstances, and for different reasons, than our own.

Think about it. Dogs don’t possess language; therefore they are unable to think with language, as we do. This, of course, limits their thinking processes. For instance, they can’t link a past action with the consequences they may currently be experiencing. That would take a higher level of cognitive understanding. Furthermore, they don’t experience guilt and remorse — at least not on the same level as humans.

The problem with thinking of our pets as having human traits and characteristics is a result of anthropomorphism — to say, the tendency we have to anthropomorphize our pets. When we do, we confuse their learning patterns with our own. For example, we might come home to find our dog looking “guilty” for having destroyed a pillow or for having pooped on the floor. However, research shows the look isn’t guilt, as we would think, but fear. Previously, the owner might have come home to discover a small disaster waiting for them and the dog got reprimanded — as a result, the dog associated the owner’s arrival (and, perhaps, the smell of poo) with getting in trouble. But punishing the dog at this point fails to correct the action. What it does do is increase the dog’s anxiety — for he cannot comprehend how his actions led to getting punished.

For an animal to pair a consequence with an action, research shows it must occur within one second of the behavior. Meaning, an undesired behavior must be witnessed to reward or punish it successfully.

If you want your dog to be his or her best, make your goal to understand your dog as a dog. They will be much happier — and so will you!

After receiving reports from pet owners that their dogs had suffered vitamin D toxicosis, one company told the FDA that it was voluntarily recalling its dry pet food because of potentially toxic levels of the nutrient. Other brands made by the same contract manufacturer have also been recalled, the agency says. It is working with the manufacturer to provide a list of affected products, and FDA scientists are investigating reports and evaluating samples of some of the products to determine if the reported illnesses are definitively connected to the diets.

So far, the agency, as well as state and private lab testing, have found that the food contained about 70 times the intended amount of vitamin D. This amount is potentially toxic to dogs, and in severe cases could lead to kidney failure or death, the release says.

Veterinarians treating vitamin D toxicosis cases should ask for the pet’s diet history. The FDA is also interested in reading case reports, particularly those confirmed with diagnostics. The agency notes that vitamin D toxicosis could also present as hypercalcemia, similar to dogs that have consumed rodenticide. In these cases, it suggests confirmation through diet history to verify whether the dog has been eating any of the recalled products.

The list of brands affected by the recall is below. This list is current as of time of publication, but it could include additional products as the FDA monitors the situation, the release notes. Click the linked company name for complete information about the recalled product.

]]>http://www.countryacreskennels.com/2018/12/06/fda-expands-recall-of-foods-containing-excess-levels-of-vitamin-d/feed/0Do As I Say, Not As I Do…http://www.countryacreskennels.com/2018/02/05/do-as-i-say-not-as-i-do/
http://www.countryacreskennels.com/2018/02/05/do-as-i-say-not-as-i-do/#respondMon, 05 Feb 2018 18:12:06 +0000http://www.countryacreskennels.com/?p=325My wife and I travel quite often for both business and pleasure. When our two Border Collies cannot accompany us, they get to stay in the kennel (Country Acres Kennels) like everybody else.

Recently, I was in the hospital for five days and my wife, Jennie, stayed there with me. While in the hospital, Cooper and Rolex got to stay in the kennel. They always look forward to their kennel time and love having playtime with all the other dogs.

When we picked them up and went home, I was really looking forward to eating real food, as I had been on a very restricted hospital diet for five days. We cooked tuna steaks, brown rice, and asparagus with hollandaise sauce. I hadn’t taken into account how much my stomach had shrunk, while on my hospital diet, so we ended up fixing too much food.

As always, Cooper and Rolex got the leftovers. Cooper has a cast-iron stomach and can eat just about anything, but Rolex has a sensitive stomach that’s easily upset. Against my wife’s advice, I gave them both a heaping plate-full of all the leftovers. Normally, I wouldn’t give Rolex so much, but I felt sorry for her, as she had been away, in the kennel.

About 5 am, the next morning, Rolex vomited up everything. We were busy most of the day with follow up doctor appointments, yet noticed that Rolex was not her usual energetic self. We weren’t overly concerned, however. Dogs get upset stomachs, just as we do, and usually get over them in a day.

About 4 pm, upon returning from an appointment, I grew concerned as Rolex was acting very lethargic; I took her temperature. It was 105 degrees, which is three and one-half degrees above what it should normally be (101.5 degrees). I immediately called the staff veterinarian for Country Acres Kennels, Dr. Mac Todd. Unfortunately, he was out of town and had to refer us to the Mansfield Emergency Hospital.

We told the attending hospital veterinarian that she had been in the kennel and had just come home the day before. The vet said Rolex could have gotten a hold of something at the kennel that made her sick. I explained that the kennel is a very controlled environment and that it wasn’t likely she got anything at the kennel. Dogs are far more likely to eat something at home, in the backyard, than at the kennel. It seems many vets feel a little guilt about their fees and seize upon any opportunity to blame kennels. I explained that I own the kennel and didn’t appreciate the way vets carelessly blame kennels for dogs that get sick. In fact, dogs are far more likely to contract a bacterial or viral infection in a veterinary hospital than in the kennel. After all, we don’t board sick dogs at the kennel.

Remember, when you go out of town, you don’t book a room at a hospital — you book a room at a hotel. Country Acres Kennels is a hotel, not a hospital for sick pets.

After spending a night at the vet’s, and $2,131.89 later, Rolex got to come home. The diagnosis was gastroenteritis (upset stomach), which can be triggered in a matter of a few hours, as it was in this case. It often results from giving a dog with sensitive stomach issues too much rich table food. In addition, an inflamed gut can cause a high temperature, as well as an elevated white blood cell count. Her white blood cell count was 30,000, which is twice the normal rate. There does not need to be any bacterial or viral infection to cause this temperature and elevated white blood cell count — meaning, it had nothing to do with spending time at the kennel.

We tell boarding clients to limit food and water intake when they take their dogs home. Too much can cause unnecessary problems for the dog and can cause an extra expense for the owner.

So, don’t do as I did — do as I say. Dogs are going to be excited when they come home, so be sure to limit the food and water intake for 24 hours and avoid my mistake.